APPLE EVENT PT.2: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2!

The Apple Watch has been a large part of apples ecosystem since the launch on the first model. Now, it’s been eight years after the first Apple Watch launched, the Apple Watch Series 9 has arrived with a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra, which launched last year.

At an event on September 12, Apple revealed that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will feature the new S9 SiP and a 4-core Neural Engine that brings new features like on-device Siri, so that Siri no longer needs to connect to the internet to process inquiries. Both new Watches have brighter screens than their predecessors, improved Ultra Wideband capability, and more storage.

But the big new feature is likely to be the new Double Tap feature, which means it is no longer a requirement that you touch the screen of the watch. Instead, users can tap their index and thumb together twice and the Watch will recognize this as a gesture. Double tap controls the main button in the app.

Design

There are no changes to Apple Watch Series 9 design. The 41mm or 45mm sizes remain. The colour options are: for the Aluminum (Midnight, Pink Starlight, Silver, or Product (Red) and for the Stainless steel (Gold, Graphite, or Silver).

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still available in just the 49mm size. The case is now made from titanium, which should mean it is lighter and even more rugged than the Ultra 1 was.

Release date and Price

Apple made the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will both be available for pre-order on September 12. It will go on sale on Friday, September 22. The Apple Watch Series 9 will start at $399, the same price as the Apple Watch Series 8. The Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) will now start at $249/£219 for the 40mm version, and The Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799/£799.

software: watchOS 10

The Apple Watch Series 9 will ship with watchOS 10. From the apple event on June 5 we got a preview of a number of new features and apps coming in the Apple Watch software, from a new way to navigate and redesigned apps across watchOS 10.

There will be new Clocks to choose from and new Watch faces as well as new apps and updates to existing apps, including the Compass and Maps app and new Health features. watchOS 10 will be available for download on September 18. It will be available to install on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.

S9 SiP

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 both feature the S9 SiP. This is the biggest chip upgrade in years. The S8 chip in 2022’s Series 8 Apple Watch didn’t offer a significant power boost over the S7, which wasn’t a lot better than the S6. While the S6 brought just a 20 percent boost in performance over the Series 5, which launched in 2019.

Apple claims that there are 60% more transistors, a total of 5.6 billion, than there were in the S8. It also claims that the GPU is 30% faster than previously. The rumors suggested that a Neural Engine would be built into the chip.

Neural Engine

There’s a new 4-core Neural Engine that processes machine learning tasks “up to twice as fast, when compared with Apple Watch Series 8,” according to Apple. This neural engine and a machine learning algorithm combine with the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor in the Watch to power features such as the Double Tap gesture and on-device Siri.

Battery life

The S9 was rumored to be based on a new A15 design that brings a boost in performance and battery life. Despite being more powerful, and having a brighter screen, the S9 is so power efficient that the Apple Watch Series 9 matches the 18-hour battery life of its previous model.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also offers the same 36-hour battery life as its previous version (and the same 72 hours in Low Power Mode).

Brighter screen

Both of the 2023 Apple Watches have brighter screens than previously. The Apple Watch Series 9 doubles the brightness from 1,000 nits to 2,000 nites. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 goes a step further, raising the predecessor’s 2,000 nit screen to 3,000 nits. Apple says this is 50% brighter than the first Apple Watch Ultra.

These changes should make it easier to read the text on the screen in bright sunlight. The screen brightness can also be lowered to just 1 nit so as not to disturb others. The Night mode will now activate automatically in the dark.

U2 ultra-wideband chip

The new Series 9 and Ultra 2 feature an upgraded ultra-wideband chip that will improve their ability to track the location of an object. The new Precision Finding feature will be useful when trying to locate a misplaced iPhone: the user will be able to track the iPhone 15 (which will have the same U2 chip) with even more precise onscreen data about its location. It is also possible to see distance and direction, and receive visual and haptic guidance, to help locate an iPhone 15.

Features

The tech specs are decent, but the big news is the new features that are coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2;

Double Tap

To trigger a Double Tap press the thumb and index finger together twice. For those times when you don’t have a hand available to tap the screen of your watch, Apple has introduced Double Tap. The Apple Watch user just taps their finger and thumb together twice and because of the sensors inside the Apple Watch, and the power of the Neural Engine, the Watch will react as if the user had interacted with the Apple Watch and respond as if the main button in the app had been tapped.

On-Device Siri and Health Queries

Siri queries will no longer need to be sent over the internet, so Siri won’t require Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This will speed up the process, but also allow users to use Siri to both provide and input information that might have been impossible.

Who should upgrade?

If you own a Series 8 or Series 7, you could probably hold on from upgrading. But there are a variety of reasons why owners of older watches would want to upgrade to the series 9 such as the watchOS 10 support and the new chip.